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Introduction. Following the South African War, the Army introduced sequentially numbered Corps,
Divisions and Brigades. 1st Army Corps was based at Aldershot, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions
under command; the 1st Division consisting of 1st and 2nd Brigades. In 1902 this represented both
a peacetime organisational system and the system under which forces would be deployed for war:
from 1906, this system was to provide the framework for a future Expeditionary Force.
World War 1. In 1914, 1st Infantry Division deployed to France with 1st Guards Brigade, 2nd and
3rd Infantry Brigades. On 23 August 1915, the Brigade was re-designated 1st Infantry Brigade
when its Guards Battalions were transferred to the newly-formed Guards Division. The Brigade
saw heavy action at Mons; Marne; Aisne; Ypres; Aubers Ridge; Loos; Somme; Pozières; and
Épehy.
Inter-War Years. After 1918, The 1st Division was again based in Aldershot and consisted of 1st,
2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades. In 1920, 1st Infantry Brigade became 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards),
the title it retained until 1960. The Brigade’s only overseas service in the inter-war period was with
the British Corps of Occupation in Constantinople from September to October 1922. The Brigade
otherwise remained in Aldershot until World War II, consisting of a changing mix of Guards and
Line Infantry Battalions.
World War 2. In September 1939, The 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) deployed to France with 1st
Infantry Division taking part in the Battle of France and subsequent evacuation of the British
Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. Following the withdrawal from the Continent, the Brigade
remained in the United Kingdom until November 1942, when it sailed for the Middle East as part of
the invasion force in North Africa under the 1st Army. It saw action in the Battles for Fondouk, El
Kourzia and Tunis in 1943. Subsequently, the Brigade served in the Italian Campaign, seeing
action in the Battles of Monte Cassino and the Liri Valley in May 1944. The Brigade returned to the
United Kingdom in August 1945 and was re-designated 1st Independent Brigade Group in
September 1945, still under 1st Infantry Division.
Post World War 2. The Brigade served overseas in Palestine and Egypt in the years 1945 to 1951
and in Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency during 1957-8. The Brigade was re-designated again in
March 1959 as 1st Guards Brigade Group, before being disbanded in November 1960.
The Cold War. In 1977 the Brigade reformed in the United Kingdom as 6th Field Force before
being re-designated 1st Infantry Brigade in 1982. From 1988 until 1992 the Brigade formed the
nucleus of the United Kingdom Mobile Force (UKMF), a component of NATO’s Allied Command
Europe Rapid Reaction Force, earmarked to reinforce Denmark in the event of a Warsaw Pact
invasion of Western Europe.
Post Cold War. In 1993, the Brigade was reassigned as part of the new 3rd (United Kingdom)
Division and subsequently became a Mechanized Brigade. From April to October 1996 it deployed
to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, acting as Headquarters Multi-National Division (South
West), returning again from March to September 1999 on Op PALANTINE
21st Century. From October 2000 until May 2001 the Brigade deployed on Op SILKMAN to Sierra
Leone, followed by a deployment on Op AGRICOLA 8 to Kosovo from April to November 2002.
Following the coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003, 1st Mechanized Brigade deployed twice to
Southern Iraq, firstly on Op TELIC 4 from April to October 2004 and again on Op TELIC 10 from
June to December 2007. The Brigade provided units to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 and
deployed on Op HERRICK 18 from April to October of this year.
The Future. The next stage for 1 Mechanized Brigade, following the current period of recuperation,
sees the Brigade become part of the Reactive Forces, re-rolling to become 1st Armoured Infantry
Brigade on 1 July 2014. This will see the Brigade and the units training for contingency operations
starting with a number of Regimental level UK and oversees exercises before progressing to
Brigade level training in 2015 and high readiness in 2016.